Page 5 of Norah

I set the board up quickly before remembering I had offered to make food. It’s basically the middle of the night, but I want to do everything I can to make her feel comfortable. “Are you hungry? I can make you something.” But Norah shakes her head and drums her fingers along the coffee table where we’ve set up.

“Stalling already?”

Ha!I love that she’s got a snarky sense of humor. “No way. Game on.”

Norah is fantastic at the game, better than me. But I don’t mind losing because I can see how she’s relaxing as the game goes on. Each time it’s her turn, she frowns to herself, sliding the tiles around until she comes up with the perfect word.

She’s so cute, the way she purses her lips in a bow and crinkles her nose. I wish the game would go on all night. When we’re almost out of letters, and it’s Norah’s turn, she plays the word zebra on a triple word tile and gives a little hoot of triumph.

“Yes!” Norah is laughing, with a full smile, and her face lit up with pleasure.

Wow. If I thought she was beautiful before, it’s nothing like now. I can hardly breathe, and my chest feels tight.I need to make her mine.Everything about Norah calls out to me. Her reluctant smile, her sense of humor that pops out when she’s not trying to hide herself, and her sad eyes that I want to make happy.

By the time the game is over, I’m infatuated with Norah. Everything about her isperfect, and I know I will do whatever it takes to win her over. I’ve never felt so strongly about someone I just met. It seems crazy, but deep down a word resonates-mine.

Norah’s still smiling as she tallies the final scores. “Good game. You have some decent Scrabble skills.”

“Thanks. I was just warming up. Guess you owe me a rematch, though.”I hope.

“Maybe.” The light in her eyes dims, and a sad expression flashes across her face. Then she glances at the clock over the TV. “Oh, my gosh! It’s 3:30 in the morning! I’m so sorry I kept you up so late!”

She’s pulling away a little and although I’d like to stay up all night, I don’t want to scare her off. “It’s no problem. It’s the weekend, so no work to get up for in the morning.” We both gather up the remaining game pieces in silence, but I can practically hear the gears running in her head. “The guest room is all set up. I can give you a spare toothbrush if you’d like?”

Norah shoots me another tiny smile. “I’d really appreciate it. Thanks.”

I grab the toothbrush and open the door to the guest room. “I’m right next door if you need anything. And Norah?”

“Yes?”

“Will you let me take you out for breakfast in the morning? You might think of leaving before I wake up, but… well, I’d really like it if you stayed.”

Nothing like potentially opening myself up for rejection. It’s clear from the look in her eyes she’d been considering sneaking out. As I tense up, mentally readying myself for her inevitable no, she surprises me.

“I’ll stay.”

NORAH

What is happening to me?

As I lay awake in Ethan’s guest room, I try to figure out how my night has gone so dramatically off the plan. First, I’m sleeping in the apartment of a man I just met, instead of alone in my quiet studio. It’s been years since I spent this much time with another person.

I’ve gone against my instincts more over the last several hours than I have in the last five years. The most mystifying thing is how badly I want to keep saying yes to Ethan. Yes to his apartment, yes to a board game, yes to breakfast, yes tomore.

The clock gradually moves closer to daylight, and sleep isn’t any closer. My mind is full of Ethan. His smile, his demeanor, his tenacity, the way he makes little jokes and then worries they aren’t funny- it’s all packaged into the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.

I want him. I want to be a person who could be with him, and explore where things could lead. But I’m not that person anymore, and dragging this illusion out longer will only end in disaster. I know this, but yet… There’s a part of me whispering that maybe my instincts are wrong.

Maybe I can keep saying yes. I think Ethan is interested; it’s been a long time, but I haven’t forgotten how a man acts when they like you. The way he looks at me isn’t the way someone looks at a person when they only want to be friends. But he’s been careful, cautious, respectful, and shows he’s looking to actuallyknowme. What would happen if I just saidyes?

The door creaks open and I regulate my breathing so it seems like I’m asleep. If it were anyone else, this intrusion would be creepy, but with Ethan it isn’t. He comes close to the bed, not too close, and stands there for a few seconds. A breath releases with palpable relief. Another moment later, he’s out of the room and closing the door.He was checking on me. I have to fight back the urge to cry at the alien comfort of someone looking out for me.

Amazingly, I ended up falling asleep and managed a few hours. I’m used to getting little sleep, so I’m feeling pretty decent, even though I’m still anxious about being here. Tiptoeing into the bathroom, I wash up and somehow tame my hair from its prior Medusa status. Heading back into the hallway, I run smack into Ethan and let out a tiny yelp of surprise.

He grabs my arm to steady me, then steps back, giving me space. “Sorry I scared you, Norah. I thought you were still sleeping.”

“You didn’t scare me. I was just startled.”

Ethan leans back against the wall and I can’t help but notice his low-slung sweatpants with a hint of tanned skin peeking out between them and his shirt.Oh my gosh, what is wrong with me? Stop staring!I mentally slap myself and look up at him. He’s smirking a little, but kindly doesn’t call me on my ogling.

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